Table 1. Baseline characteristics and demographic distribution in overall population.
| Characteristics | Immediate group (n=85) | Delayed group (n=74) | P valuesa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 59(36-80) | 61(34-81) | |
| Sex | 0.024 | ||
| Male | 33(38.8%) | 42(56.8%) | |
| Female | 52((61.2%) | 32(43.2%) | |
| Smoking history | 0.394 | ||
| Neverb | 68(80.0%) | 55(74.3%) | |
| Ever | 17(20.0%) | 19(25.7%) | |
| WHO performance statusc | 0.723 | ||
| 0 or 1 | 54(63.5%) | 49(66.2%) | |
| 2 | 31(36.5%) | 25(33.8%) | |
| Tumor histology | 0.873 | ||
| Adenocarcinomad | 72(84.7%) | 62(83.8%) | |
| Non-adenocarcinoma | 13(15.3%) | 12(16.2%) | |
| Disease stage at entry | 0.554 | ||
| JIIB with pleural effusion | 29(34.1%) | 22(29.7%) | |
| JV | 56(65.9%) | 52(70.3%) | |
| First-line agents combined with platinum | 0.891 | ||
| Gemcitabine | 43(50.6%) | 35(47.3%) | |
| Novelbine | 28(32.9%) | 25(33.8%) | |
| Taxel | 14(16.5%) | 14(18.9%) | |
| Cycle numbers of previous chemotherapy | <0.001 | ||
| 2 or 3 | 38(44.7%) | 12(16.2%) | |
| 4 to 6 | 47(55.3%) | 62(83.8%) | |
| EGFR mutation statuse | 0.777 | ||
| Mutation type | 40(60.6%) | 29(58.0%) | |
| Wide type | 26(39.4%) | 21(42%) |
a: The statistic was analyzed by pearson Chi-square tests. b: Never smokers were defined as patients who had smoked <100 cigarettes in their lifetime. c: The World Health Organization (WHO) performance status measures level of activity and is assessed on a scale of 0 to 4, with lower numbers indicating a higher degree of activity. The time point assessing WHO performance status in our study was that at the beginning of gefitinib or erlotinib. d: The subgroup of adenocarcinoma also included bronchoalveolar carcinoma. e: Sixty-six and 50 patients had records of EGFR mutation status in immediate group and delayed group respectively.